Random things about Japan today...

• It's hot...I say this sentence at least 8 times a day. Never has weather dictated my mood as much as it does here. I think not having central air has a little bit to do with this.
• It's humid...I say this sentence at least 16 times a day. I grew up in Tennessee so I know humidity, but Osaka has humidity on steroids. Not even my miracle straight perm can withstand this humidity.
• Below is me with Taisei, my old language teacher's, Yoshi, son. He's five months old and has soooo much hair! Have you ever seen a 5 month old with so much hair?! Please notice Taisei is modeling a pocket pouch bib in plaid made especially for him by my dear friend, Laura, through Lindy Hop Design. Doesn't Taisei look handsome in such a frock?

• Today Liz got this package in the mail. Her friend sent her homemade cookies...and she used popcorn in place of those white curly Styrofoam things. It was a lot of popcorn. We'd like to eat it, but it's a little stale.

• So it's official...my friend, Wendy, and her mom, Mrs. Valerie, are coming to visit me in October!! I'm pretty pumped! Wendy and I went to the same high school and church, and our mamas are friends. Wendy is now married and has a little boy, Fox (or Foxy!). Here's pic from Wendy's wedding shower at my house in 2004 (this was pre-handy dandy digital camera so it's poor quality...sorry!). It was Hawaii-themed in case you are wondering about the get-up...me, my mom, Wendy, Mrs. Valerie, Amber (her and her hubby just announced they are having a baby!), Megan, Kellie, and Ashley (who just returned from Guatemala after a year of missions!). More to come about Wendy later!!

• Currently suffering from Post-Shiona Syndrome. Shiona made it safely back to Washington safely...but she is already stinkin' missed so much here! Our last photograph at the airport...sniff, sniff.

• One of my goals right now is intense scripture memory. I want the Word to flow out of me and to constantly be on the tip of my tongue. Memorizing Galatians 1 right now. Some super good stuff and bold proclamations. "I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." Galatians 1:11-12

A glimpse of my adventures with Shiona!!

Motivators

SHI's SHI's GOODBYE PARTY

Shiona is going back to America on Friday, so yesterday we had a goodbye party for her. It was like her tenth goodbye party but this was the best one. Shiona has been in Japan exactly two years teaching at a middle/high school, and she will be going back to Washington state where her sugar boogar and family are. I have to say I am so sad Shiona is leaving. This is one of the hardest goodbyes because even though I will be going back to America in the next few months, we might as well as be in different countries as far away Washington is from Tennessee. Shiona and I have done many things together, have gone on so many adventures together, share all the same values and beliefs, have spent numerous nights giggling and talking, have gone through "I LOVE JAPAN" days together, have gone through "I HATE JAPAN" days together, and we have the same idiotic and stupid sense of humor. I have affectionately renamed her Shi Shi, and now it's stuck. But I think the two things that have most made Shiona and I's friendship deep and strong is that we have seen Japanese come Christ together and we have been to the Japanese public bath together. Yep, that's the recipe for a strong and wonderful friendship...leading people to Christ together and bathing together.

Front Row from the left...Megumi, Takako, Shiona, Liz, and Chi. Back Row from the left...me, Maya, Koni, Kaori. I made Shiona a scrapbook with all the adventures we have had the best year and half. I liked it so much, I almost didn't give it to her. Shi with her gift from the Seelens...a calligraphy Bible Verse.

At the party, we ate and ate, played games, and watched home videos Shiona has recorded in Japan. Shiona is quite the movie director and producer. She has taken all these videos and has edited them with music, subtitles, credits, and other things, and she has created movies. She has made "Guam: The Movie" starring Kaori, Koni, me, and Shiona. I have it on DVD and am currently making copies to send to my parents and sisters. Shiona also made a "Happy Birthday, Katie" DVD. And a "Mt. Fuji: The Giver of Pain" movie is in the works, and as well as a prayer DVD about Shinsaibashi. It's like a Shiona Production Company.

And only in Japan does a goodbye party consist of a trip to Karaoke. This particular trip included "Country Roads" by John Denver, "Survivor" by Destiny Child, "Jolene" by Dolly Parton (I changed the title to Shiona..."Shiona, Shiona, Shiona, Shiona, please don't take my man just because you can"), and "Part of Your World" from Little Mermaid...Karaoke is always the most random songs ever.

And the finale of the evening...me dying Shiona's hair 22N (or dark ash blonde). She wants to look good for her trip home.

Parked Cars

Space is an issue in Japan, but this is a little much. Two parked cars in my neighborhood.

A little adventure...

It's Obon here in Japan...what does that mean? Everyone's out of work and school, and it's ADVENTURE TIME! So, Kaori invited Liz, Shiona, Maya, Koni, and I to spend the night at her father's hotel in Kyoto. It was totally awesome and by the far the best trip in Japan so far. The whole trip was an adventure and I didn't know what was going on most of the time, but it was so great! This is us on the beach of the Sea of Japan...that would be the west coast of Japan. I have never been to the west coast before and had never seen the Sea of Japan. While we were swimming, I said something about swimming in the Pacific Ocean, and Kaori informed me we were in the Sea of Japan not the Pacific. I was shocked because I had no idea where I was in Japan. I had traveled all the way to the other side of the country and didn't even know it. Here's our dinner at the hotel. For three of us, those two platters have every meat and seafood imaginable, and we grill it ourselves. It was quite the spread. I had snail for the first time, but I ate the wrong part first and am now forever scarred to eat snail again. Typical Japanese hotel with the tatami floors and futons. Here's our big mess of futons. We went to this restaurant where all they serve is soba, a noodle. I ate three plates of soba...that's a lot of noodles. This is called Amanohashidate. I'm told it's the #3 most beautiful view in Japan (I don't know who decides that). Liz, Kaori, me (note to self, never stand on the highest part of a rock when with short people, you look gigantic), Koni, Maya, and Shiona at Amanohashidate. Ok, so here's the thing with Amanohashidate...if you look at it upside down, the sea turns into the sky and the sky turns in the ocean and that strip of land looks like a bridge in heaven. I couldn't really tell anything, though. And a coffee break (and me with my tea because I'm a coffee-hater). What a great two days with ghetto trains, Kaori's Dad driving crazy mountain roads, dirty Sea of Japan, a competitive game of Hip-Writing, late night giggles and video recording, all six of us sleeping in the same room, crabs in the bath, bees in the car, and a very interesting view from our hotel balcony. Thank you, Kaori!!

It feels like 110...literally!!

Weather.com is reporting that the temperature in Osaka is 99 degrees today. And it's reporting that the "Feels Like" temperature is 110 degrees. 110 degrees!! How can a country that was sooo cold in February be this hot?!?